On New Years Eve, my family and I went to my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Sam’s to celebrate and watch the ball drop. We ate a lot of food and exchanged our Christmas gifts with one another because we hadn’t seen them. Every year we watch the ball drop on tv. This year my little cousins were allowed to stay up to watch it which I though was just a little annoying because they wouldn’t stop talking all night. But I did have a good time.
A lot of good things happened to me in 2009. One of the best was that I got one of the top five high scores at one of my dance competitions for my solo! It was really great because there were a lot of people there and another person from my studio got in there too. It really shocked me because I was sick that day too! Another thing that happened in 2009 was that I went to Florida too see my cousin get married on the beach! The bad part about that was that I got really bad sunburn! I was literally red as a tomato for a while after we got back.
I am looking forward to so many things in 2010! First off, my birthday is in late November so I’ll be turning sixteen and will be getting my license, Even though I just turned fifteen. I also am looking forward to competition season. I’m so excited to compete my solo because its so good this year and hopefully I place in the top five. I also am looking forward to going to Mexico! I don’t know when but were going there sometime this year!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Holiday Traditions
Christmas Traditions
Every year on Christmas Eve we go to my grandparent’s house to celebrate with them and my aunts and uncles. Normally, we go around noon and stay until eleven at night. During the time in which we are there we eat dinner and open up gifts. This year I got a gift card to Hollister, two subscriptions to magazines I like and a few other things for my grandparents. My aunt and uncle usually get me something from Hollister.
Every year on Christmas Day my mom’s side of the family comes to my house. That includes my grandparents on that side, my Aunt Sheila, Uncle Steve, my cousin Ashley and her husband Mike and my new baby cousin Caleb. My mom normally cooks a huge feast for all of us and we have tons of leftovers for days after. We open up our presents from our parents on Christmas morning and the one from the rest of our family after we eat. However, this year we had Christmas at my Grandmas house because my mom was in the Hospital back in November and it was too much for her to do. I will say one thing about Christmas this year, it was a disaster. I told my mom that I was going to boycott going to my grandma’s house because it was a tradition to have it at our house and it didn’t work. My mom made me go. But my mom even said that it will not happen again because like I said, it was a disaster and I really don’t want to say all that happened. But other than that, I had a good Christmas getting most of what I wanted, well everything except one thing that many and many of girls were wanting, Justin Bieber.
Every year on Christmas Eve we go to my grandparent’s house to celebrate with them and my aunts and uncles. Normally, we go around noon and stay until eleven at night. During the time in which we are there we eat dinner and open up gifts. This year I got a gift card to Hollister, two subscriptions to magazines I like and a few other things for my grandparents. My aunt and uncle usually get me something from Hollister.
Every year on Christmas Day my mom’s side of the family comes to my house. That includes my grandparents on that side, my Aunt Sheila, Uncle Steve, my cousin Ashley and her husband Mike and my new baby cousin Caleb. My mom normally cooks a huge feast for all of us and we have tons of leftovers for days after. We open up our presents from our parents on Christmas morning and the one from the rest of our family after we eat. However, this year we had Christmas at my Grandmas house because my mom was in the Hospital back in November and it was too much for her to do. I will say one thing about Christmas this year, it was a disaster. I told my mom that I was going to boycott going to my grandma’s house because it was a tradition to have it at our house and it didn’t work. My mom made me go. But my mom even said that it will not happen again because like I said, it was a disaster and I really don’t want to say all that happened. But other than that, I had a good Christmas getting most of what I wanted, well everything except one thing that many and many of girls were wanting, Justin Bieber.
The Power of One
The Power of One Blog Assignment
After watching The Power of One, I felt that I could better understand the apartheid that took place in South Africa. I learned that the English didn’t get along with the Afrikaners or the Africans and both treated the Africans with great disrespect. The most difficult part of the movie for me to see was when P.K. was at the prison and the guy who taught him how to box was killed. I can’t believe that people actually treated Africans this way. The only good that came out of that was that he became a free man and spoke his mind to the guy before he died. This movie did help me understand what went on but it still confuses me what the word “Apartheid” really means. I know what went on but it is still somewhat hard for me to understand.
Compared to all of the movies that we have watched in Global Ed. so far, this has been one of my favorites. It is a very inspiring film that shows us how wrong it is to discriminate against others just because of their race. This also reminds me of Hotel Rwanda because it is very similar in the way that there is a group of people that hate another group of people in the same country. Overall, the movie, The Power of One was very helpful to understand what went on in South Africa and was very inspiring to see how one person could make a difference.
After watching The Power of One, I felt that I could better understand the apartheid that took place in South Africa. I learned that the English didn’t get along with the Afrikaners or the Africans and both treated the Africans with great disrespect. The most difficult part of the movie for me to see was when P.K. was at the prison and the guy who taught him how to box was killed. I can’t believe that people actually treated Africans this way. The only good that came out of that was that he became a free man and spoke his mind to the guy before he died. This movie did help me understand what went on but it still confuses me what the word “Apartheid” really means. I know what went on but it is still somewhat hard for me to understand.
Compared to all of the movies that we have watched in Global Ed. so far, this has been one of my favorites. It is a very inspiring film that shows us how wrong it is to discriminate against others just because of their race. This also reminds me of Hotel Rwanda because it is very similar in the way that there is a group of people that hate another group of people in the same country. Overall, the movie, The Power of One was very helpful to understand what went on in South Africa and was very inspiring to see how one person could make a difference.
Monday, November 23, 2009
10 Things I am Thankful For
Ten Things I’m Thankful For
1. I am thankful for my parents, They help me out in so many ways. Almost every day of the week my mom drives me to dance, which is thirty minutes away. My mom and dad help me with my math homework if I need it and are there for me if I ever need them.
2. Another thing I am thankful for is dance. My whole life I have danced and I cannot imagine my life without it. I’m grateful to be taking as many classes as I do because dance does get expensive. I have made so many close friends through dancing and my studio is like a family. We do so much together like going to movies and we have parties a lot!
3. I am also thankful for the life that I live. There are some people in the world that aren’t as fortunate as I am and don’t get to live a good life. I’m glad that I go to school to be educated even though sometimes I may not want to go, it is very important to my family and I.
4. I am thankful for not only my health but the health of my family and others. I’m grateful because my health has been very good throughout my whole life and I have not had to suffer like others in the world. The advances that the world has made in the medical field have been amazing and helped cure many people of sickness and prevent sickness for others.
5. I am also thankful for my little sister Hailey. Even though my sister may be four years younger than me, she will always be there for me and will be one of my best friends. She truly is the best sister a person could have. She is one of the nicest and kind people a person could have. I love her to death.
6. I’m thankful for my friends! I am glad to have as many caring and generous friends that I do. They are like part of my family, there are always there if I need to talk and will listen to my problems. My close friends are the ones I help to keep not only throughout my high school years but forever.
7. I’m very thankful for my friend Alyssa. She was my very first buddy at dance and is like a sister to me. She has always been there for me when I needed her the most and I honestly have no idea what life would be like without her. She went off to college this year and things haven’t been the same dance. I was use to seeing her every day but now I only get to see her every couple of weeks but we do talk on the phone a lot. Like I said, I don’t know what I would do without her, she is like the older sister I never had.
8. I am also thankful for food. Without proper nutrition, I would not be healthy. In some places in the world children and adults are dying of hunger. I’m glad that here in America we have local grocery stores to go and buy food for our families.
9. Technology is another thing that I am thankful for. With the technology we have today we can keep in touch with friends and family that live far away or the ones we don’t get to see often. I am fortunate enough to have access to computers, cell phones, and ipods while many children do not.
10. I am also thankful for my cat Cali. She is so sweet and nice. When we first got her when my sister was younger, she would come running to my sister if she was crying and needed help. Sometimes I think that my family spoils her because we buy her a lot of things. She really seems like she is part of my family.
1. I am thankful for my parents, They help me out in so many ways. Almost every day of the week my mom drives me to dance, which is thirty minutes away. My mom and dad help me with my math homework if I need it and are there for me if I ever need them.
2. Another thing I am thankful for is dance. My whole life I have danced and I cannot imagine my life without it. I’m grateful to be taking as many classes as I do because dance does get expensive. I have made so many close friends through dancing and my studio is like a family. We do so much together like going to movies and we have parties a lot!
3. I am also thankful for the life that I live. There are some people in the world that aren’t as fortunate as I am and don’t get to live a good life. I’m glad that I go to school to be educated even though sometimes I may not want to go, it is very important to my family and I.
4. I am thankful for not only my health but the health of my family and others. I’m grateful because my health has been very good throughout my whole life and I have not had to suffer like others in the world. The advances that the world has made in the medical field have been amazing and helped cure many people of sickness and prevent sickness for others.
5. I am also thankful for my little sister Hailey. Even though my sister may be four years younger than me, she will always be there for me and will be one of my best friends. She truly is the best sister a person could have. She is one of the nicest and kind people a person could have. I love her to death.
6. I’m thankful for my friends! I am glad to have as many caring and generous friends that I do. They are like part of my family, there are always there if I need to talk and will listen to my problems. My close friends are the ones I help to keep not only throughout my high school years but forever.
7. I’m very thankful for my friend Alyssa. She was my very first buddy at dance and is like a sister to me. She has always been there for me when I needed her the most and I honestly have no idea what life would be like without her. She went off to college this year and things haven’t been the same dance. I was use to seeing her every day but now I only get to see her every couple of weeks but we do talk on the phone a lot. Like I said, I don’t know what I would do without her, she is like the older sister I never had.
8. I am also thankful for food. Without proper nutrition, I would not be healthy. In some places in the world children and adults are dying of hunger. I’m glad that here in America we have local grocery stores to go and buy food for our families.
9. Technology is another thing that I am thankful for. With the technology we have today we can keep in touch with friends and family that live far away or the ones we don’t get to see often. I am fortunate enough to have access to computers, cell phones, and ipods while many children do not.
10. I am also thankful for my cat Cali. She is so sweet and nice. When we first got her when my sister was younger, she would come running to my sister if she was crying and needed help. Sometimes I think that my family spoils her because we buy her a lot of things. She really seems like she is part of my family.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Old Friends, New Friends
This year I have made a couple new friends but I am still friends with most the same people I was before high school. I’m really glad that I have a lot of my good friends in almost every class. Some of them are even in two or three classes!
SHS Activities Attended
So far this year I have gone to a couple of different activities. I went to the Freshman Dance and had a really fun time! I also went to the Welcome Back Dance, but it wasn’t as fun at the first one.
Funniest, Weirdest, Scariest Moments
Well a couple of weeks ago at dance the weirdest thing happened! My friend Dana Yordy was in the corner and saw a huge spider and screamed really loud. The stomach was about the size of a quarter and she smashed it with a CD case that was lying out and like thirty little spiders went all across the floor. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Also at dance, at our competition team auditions, something really funny happened. I was sitting around with a couple of friends and my friend Jaycie knocked over my can of pop and spilt it all over my shoes and my clothes that I had. Every time I have a can of pop over by my stuff and she’s there I have to warn her to be careful!
Hardest, Easiest Class and Assignments
I have to say that one of the hardest assignments so far was the one in history where we had to write on culture. We had to pick five topics of culture and write about it giving examples from Australia. One of my hardest classes is accelerated Geometry. I get so much homework every day it’s unbelievable!
Top Five Current Events
Some top current events are: 1. How the Swine Flu has spread and killed many children so far in the United States. 2. Typhoon Ketsana that struck the Philippians and Vietnam. 3. Rio de Jeinerio getting 2016 Olympics. 4. Three people died while running the marathon this past weekend. 5. Michigan public school budget cut problem.
Faces in the News
Some faces in the news would be, Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Hillary Clinton for meeting with Dimitry Medvedev which is the president of Russia.
Interesting New Words
Some interesting new words that I have learned this year include, luxuriant, loquacious, jubilant, and inquisitive.
Popular or Memorable Songs
This year Taylor Swift song, “You Belong with Me”, has become very popular and has been played constantly on the radio. Some other popular or memorable songs this year are Party in the USA, and I got a feeling.
Popular or Memorable Movies
Recently the movie Paranormal Activity came out and apparently is really good. I haven’t seen it yet but I think I might with some friends because of all the good things I hear about it.
Rumors or Gossip
Most of the rumors or gossip I have heard this year has been from my dance studio. A lot of people are involved with school sports and that’s fine with my teacher but they haven’t been telling anyone where they are. Since we’re starting a new competition season, we need to have people there to learn our dances. Also at dance we have been talking about how my friend got moved into the senior small group lyrical (the good one) instead of me and a lot of people think that I deserve to be in there instead of her. I’m considered the “princess” at the studio because I’m like the owners second daughter. I that’s because I am like a sister to her daughter Alyssa. She graduated this year so I have kind of filled in the place for her.
Fads and Trends
Most trends have been the same for a while but they do change once in a while. Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle are pretty popular stores that follow the fashion trends. I usually shop at these stores. Skinny jeans and Uggs are really popular this year.
First Cultural Event
For my first cultural event I went to my Aunts house to learn how to make Pierogi. I spent a couple of hours there learning how to make the dough and the filling and how to make them into the shape that they are. I had a lot of fun learning to make them with her that day.
Homecoming!
This year the homecoming them has to do with Halloween and spooky things. Today is the homecoming game and I’m going with some of my friends. Tomorrow is homecoming and I am really excited! I know that I will have a really good time.
Advice for Freshman
Some advice for freshman would be to remember your locker combination and don’t lose it. A couple of my friends lost the sheet with their locker combos on it and they had to pay twenty-five cents to get it.
What I looking Forward to…
I’m really looking forward to Homecoming tomorrow! I also can’t wait for the dance competition season to start! My solo is really good this year and has a good chance of placing in the overalls this year! Last year I got fifth in the thirteen to fifteen category but this year I am hoping to get first.
Other Noteworthy Achievements
I haven’t got many achievements in school but at dance I have done really well and have placed in the top five at dance competitions. Basically that is all.
This year I have made a couple new friends but I am still friends with most the same people I was before high school. I’m really glad that I have a lot of my good friends in almost every class. Some of them are even in two or three classes!
SHS Activities Attended
So far this year I have gone to a couple of different activities. I went to the Freshman Dance and had a really fun time! I also went to the Welcome Back Dance, but it wasn’t as fun at the first one.
Funniest, Weirdest, Scariest Moments
Well a couple of weeks ago at dance the weirdest thing happened! My friend Dana Yordy was in the corner and saw a huge spider and screamed really loud. The stomach was about the size of a quarter and she smashed it with a CD case that was lying out and like thirty little spiders went all across the floor. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Also at dance, at our competition team auditions, something really funny happened. I was sitting around with a couple of friends and my friend Jaycie knocked over my can of pop and spilt it all over my shoes and my clothes that I had. Every time I have a can of pop over by my stuff and she’s there I have to warn her to be careful!
Hardest, Easiest Class and Assignments
I have to say that one of the hardest assignments so far was the one in history where we had to write on culture. We had to pick five topics of culture and write about it giving examples from Australia. One of my hardest classes is accelerated Geometry. I get so much homework every day it’s unbelievable!
Top Five Current Events
Some top current events are: 1. How the Swine Flu has spread and killed many children so far in the United States. 2. Typhoon Ketsana that struck the Philippians and Vietnam. 3. Rio de Jeinerio getting 2016 Olympics. 4. Three people died while running the marathon this past weekend. 5. Michigan public school budget cut problem.
Faces in the News
Some faces in the news would be, Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Hillary Clinton for meeting with Dimitry Medvedev which is the president of Russia.
Interesting New Words
Some interesting new words that I have learned this year include, luxuriant, loquacious, jubilant, and inquisitive.
Popular or Memorable Songs
This year Taylor Swift song, “You Belong with Me”, has become very popular and has been played constantly on the radio. Some other popular or memorable songs this year are Party in the USA, and I got a feeling.
Popular or Memorable Movies
Recently the movie Paranormal Activity came out and apparently is really good. I haven’t seen it yet but I think I might with some friends because of all the good things I hear about it.
Rumors or Gossip
Most of the rumors or gossip I have heard this year has been from my dance studio. A lot of people are involved with school sports and that’s fine with my teacher but they haven’t been telling anyone where they are. Since we’re starting a new competition season, we need to have people there to learn our dances. Also at dance we have been talking about how my friend got moved into the senior small group lyrical (the good one) instead of me and a lot of people think that I deserve to be in there instead of her. I’m considered the “princess” at the studio because I’m like the owners second daughter. I that’s because I am like a sister to her daughter Alyssa. She graduated this year so I have kind of filled in the place for her.
Fads and Trends
Most trends have been the same for a while but they do change once in a while. Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle are pretty popular stores that follow the fashion trends. I usually shop at these stores. Skinny jeans and Uggs are really popular this year.
First Cultural Event
For my first cultural event I went to my Aunts house to learn how to make Pierogi. I spent a couple of hours there learning how to make the dough and the filling and how to make them into the shape that they are. I had a lot of fun learning to make them with her that day.
Homecoming!
This year the homecoming them has to do with Halloween and spooky things. Today is the homecoming game and I’m going with some of my friends. Tomorrow is homecoming and I am really excited! I know that I will have a really good time.
Advice for Freshman
Some advice for freshman would be to remember your locker combination and don’t lose it. A couple of my friends lost the sheet with their locker combos on it and they had to pay twenty-five cents to get it.
What I looking Forward to…
I’m really looking forward to Homecoming tomorrow! I also can’t wait for the dance competition season to start! My solo is really good this year and has a good chance of placing in the overalls this year! Last year I got fifth in the thirteen to fifteen category but this year I am hoping to get first.
Other Noteworthy Achievements
I haven’t got many achievements in school but at dance I have done really well and have placed in the top five at dance competitions. Basically that is all.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Culture, Culture, Culture
As an American Citizen I would have to define American Culture as a way of living and how we as Americans celebrate and do things. Culture is basically the way people live. American culture is made up of several smaller cultures put together over time. There are several different ways that us Americans do things different from other cultures, such as our holidays. Here in American we celebrate almost every holiday you can think of from Christmas to Independence Day and ever George Washington’s Birthday. While in other cultures they may focus on just their own religious holidays, America has freedom of religion which lets us celebrate based on our religion. Another way to describe American culture would be based on the foods we eat. In America we eat a lot of fast food including hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries. For an example, in Spain, there cultural/ ethnic food would be paella and tortillas. Two adjectives that would describe American culture would be accepting of others and mostly an optimistic country with a positive outlook.
My culture as an American teen is very similar to my family but maybe not other teens and their families in other countries and right here in Livonia. My family is catholic so we go to church and celebrate Christmas and such while other people right here in our society may celebrate Hanukkah and Ramadan. As a teen, my culture differs from other age groups, we like to text and talk on the phone, and most all of us have a Facebook or Myspace. Back when our parents were little, they didn’t have all these things we did and they really don’t do it now. In Africa, kids don’t do these things either because in their culture, they don’t particularly have the technology that America does. My culture and experiences I have to say are very similar to most kids, we may be of different ethnic back rounds but most all do the same activities and the same things.
As an American Citizen I would have to define American Culture as a way of living and how we as Americans celebrate and do things. Culture is basically the way people live. American culture is made up of several smaller cultures put together over time. There are several different ways that us Americans do things different from other cultures, such as our holidays. Here in American we celebrate almost every holiday you can think of from Christmas to Independence Day and ever George Washington’s Birthday. While in other cultures they may focus on just their own religious holidays, America has freedom of religion which lets us celebrate based on our religion. Another way to describe American culture would be based on the foods we eat. In America we eat a lot of fast food including hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries. For an example, in Spain, there cultural/ ethnic food would be paella and tortillas. Two adjectives that would describe American culture would be accepting of others and mostly an optimistic country with a positive outlook.
My culture as an American teen is very similar to my family but maybe not other teens and their families in other countries and right here in Livonia. My family is catholic so we go to church and celebrate Christmas and such while other people right here in our society may celebrate Hanukkah and Ramadan. As a teen, my culture differs from other age groups, we like to text and talk on the phone, and most all of us have a Facebook or Myspace. Back when our parents were little, they didn’t have all these things we did and they really don’t do it now. In Africa, kids don’t do these things either because in their culture, they don’t particularly have the technology that America does. My culture and experiences I have to say are very similar to most kids, we may be of different ethnic back rounds but most all do the same activities and the same things.
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